Kitsune no Seirei
by Verdant-Coconut
Summary: Lost in a forest, Kuwahara Yukio finds himself in another world, where he meets beautiful spirits and evil creatures of all kinds. Inspired by many Steam visual novels! My first story - go ahead and review it! It's finished, but I can always use helpful criticism for future stories. If you want, PM me some story ideas! I'll give you full credit for the idea, too, so why not?
1. A Swordsman's Goal

**Chapter 1  
><strong>**A Swordsman's Goal**

I would have never imagined all of this to happen. A few years ago I had a normal life. A normal house, with normal friends… But all of that changed on _that_ day. My name is Kuwahara Yukio; at the time of these events I was only 17. It's amazing how quickly things can change.

When I was 13, my parents finally deemed me responsible for using a sword, and I received my first sword for my birthday. A stainless-steel blade, sharp, and not too heavy. It was perfect.

When I was 15, my parents went away on a business trip. I later received news that their airplane crashed, and there were no survivors. I've been living alone ever since.

I mostly spent my days inside the Okamine Dojo, training myself to the limits. After the dojo burnt down last year, I built my own training room inside our house. There was a big tournament last spring. I won for our city, and now I'm going to the nationals. Sure, I'm scared to death about screwing up in front of thousands of people. Hopefully I'll get courage before it's time for the tournament next summer.

I'll never forget my dad's last words before he left:

"Now, just because I won't be here to encourage you, I want you to always remember this. No matter how hard you try, believe in yourself. If you believe enough, you can succeed in anything."

Now, the 15-year old me would think, 'Wow. That's so corny, it's not like this is a movie or television show or anything.' But I've changed. Throughout these documented adventures, I've done nothing but believe. I've lost a lot in my life, but that doesn't stop me for appreciating the other things. Now… enough with me blabbing on. You're here for the story of that faithful day, yes? Well… here we go.

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><p>First chapter done! Leave me some reviews, please! If you see any spelling errors, have any suggestions, or characters I should add, send me a PM!<br>If you leave a review saying that you don't like it, tell me what you don't like about it~ [Also - re-uploaded to make it better]


	2. A Shrine by a Sakura

**Chapter 2  
>A Shrine by a Sakura<strong>

I awoke that morning to a cold breeze. I forgot to close the window before bed; it was fairly warm the night before, but now it felt like the temperature dropped 20 degrees. Clicking the heat on, I sat down on my bed and picked up my prized katana. Unsheathing it, I ran my hand down the cold metal blade, thinking of the upcoming tournament. I was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey! Yuki-kun! I'm letting myself in!" It was Takara, my best friend.

I heard the door open and went downstairs, forgetting I was still in my sleeping robe.

"Are those your jammies, Yuki-kun?" Takara giggled.

I looked at her and scratched my head. "Why are you in your school uniform?"

"Because, obviously, today we have school. Jee, I wonder why else I would be wearing this uniform?" She mocked.

"Damn, I completely forgot! Let me go get changed."

She followed me upstairs. "Nice robe, by the way," she teased.

"Ha, ha. It's the first thing I grabbed. I was beat after training last night. I'm sure what I wore was the last thing on my mind. Besides, at least I don't sleep naked like you!" I growled.

"One time, the A.C. broke on a blazing night. Yeesh!" She sighed.

"Can you leave and let me get changed, at least?" I said.

She walked out of the room and I got my uniform on as quick as possible, brushed my teeth, and went back down.

"Want some breakfast?" I asked, putting a piece of toast in the toaster. "I forgot to go shopping yesterday, so all we have is toast and marmalade."

"Nah. I had something before I left." She replied. The toast popped out and she added, "Better make that to go; we have to go now!"

As we were walking to school, she asked, "So… are you nervous about that competition in the summer?"

"Of course I am!" I said.

"You now, times like these call to go pray to a shrine." She stopped and pointed to a small wooden shrine almost completely covered by trees and bushes on the side of the walkway. "I go to this one sometimes; it's small and not many people know about it."

"Just a prayer won't do it. I need actual luck. A shrine that instantly grants wishes. Too bad there's nothing like that…" I sighed.

"I heard Tomori Eiji passed an exam last month by praying to a shrine. A special one, too! Maybe you can ask him to tell you where you can find it?"

I was doubtful, but it was a good suggestion. After 1st period, I went up to Eiji and asked him about it.

"Well… to be honest, I don't remember much. All I remember is finding a shrine in the woods, entering, and blanking out. When I came to, I was back at home laying in my bed." Eiji adjusted his glasses as he attempted to remember the story.

"Bummer. Can you remember any details? How deep in the forest was? Any landmarks?" I asked, hoping he would remember something.

"There was a lone cherry blossom tree… I don't exactly see how, because it was the middle of December and all the leaves on the other trees were gone. It was a dense forest, though. I know it was the forest behind the old dojo. I walked for quite a while, and it got denser and denser. But that's all I can remember."

"That's good enough. Thanks~" I waved to Eiji and walked away.

After school – which seemed 20 times as long because I wanted to find this secret shrine – I met with Takara.

"Hey, Taka-chan," I greeted.

"Oh hey Yuki-kun!" She waved back, walking away from a group of people.

"I'm off to find the shrine. Tomori-san told me directions. Care to join?" I asked.

"I can't. I have judo practice in a few minutes. But…" She trailed off.

"But what?" I asked.

"A shrine that powerful surely needs an offering. Something important to you. It may not work if you don't bring an offering…" she said.

"Well, then I should bring you! Muaha!" I joked around, pretending to be a spirit monster going after her. "But really - maybe I'll just run home and grab my sword. It means a lot, and I can always get another if it means doing good. Though I'm not sure I wanna lose it…"

Panting, Takara stopped from running away. "All right, I should really get doing now. Good luck!" She waved and cheerfully hopped away. She sure does like changing the subject dramatically.

Arriving at the site of the burnt dojo, I felt a wave of nostalgia. I had some good times there. But now's not the time to be depressed. I have a shrine to find.

Confidently, with my prized sword in hand, I walked into the forest in search of a shrine.

* * *

><p>Done the second chapter! Yay~<br>Takara is based off of my childhood friend; for more info on other characters visit my profile.


	3. Mysterious Beauties

**Chapter 3  
><strong>**Mysterious Beauties**

I headed west, following the setting sun until it was just a faint glow beyond the mountaintops. I found a small river and followed it downstream. Surely it must be flowing from somewhere. Eiji did say there was a lake near the shrine, so that's a lead at least.

After an hour of trekking, the river got smaller until it was a steady flowing stream, easy enough to jump over. The forest started to get denser as well. I passed a few early-blooming cherry trees. The leaves were hardly pink since it was only mid-February. The river was rushing faster now, too. I highly doubted anyone has ever trekked this far in the forest. It's overgrown with plants and the ground doesn't look worn at all, not even paw prints from animals. Eventually the river opened up to a massive lake. There was a small waterfall from the melting snow flowing from the mountaintops, and large bamboo trees were littered around the shore. An old abandoned campsite was there, too. It was overgrown with vines and moss. A sign read in sloppy kanji writing, "beware of spirits". The sun was high in the sky, too, when I could've sworn I saw the moon a few moments ago. My GPS on my phone - which was programmed to give me my exact longitude and latitude in the world, was a mess of symbols. Back-tracking my steps, I followed the river down again. What I found was crazy - at the point where the river became a stream was a hill with ornate stone steps and lanterns. At the top, I saw a cherry tree, petals in full bloom, and a grand looking shrine. What else was I to do? I could either enter the shrine or do nothing.

With a creak, the old doors opened. The interior - along with the exterior - was very well-managed. The floors sparkled and gleamed and lanterns hung from the ceiling, their fires giving the impression that they were just lit. But why? It was in the middle of nowhere… In fact, the entire atmosphere seemed to have changed starting from when I passed by the first early blooming cherry tree. I haven't been paying much attention, but the sounds of birds chirping stopped, too. It's like I'm in a different world…

Without a notion as to what to do, I got down on my knees in front of the alter and placed my prized sword between two big lanterns. I closed my eyes and began to pray, clapping my hands together.

"I pray for good luck during the upcoming tournament in a few months. Allow me to endure no harm and preform extraordinarily." As I spoke, it felt like another presence was in the room. Warmth came from where the sword laid, and it wasn't from the lanterns. I felt something against my back, but kept praying silently, hoping it was just the wind. "Allow me to try my best and unlock my full potential. I wish to become the national champion, and a great warrior and swordsman."

The warmth around me grew, and I heard a voice behind me. Opening my eyes and standing up, I saw that all the lanterns had gone out, but something shone brighter. I picked up my sword and turned around to see a woman. She looked like she was in her early 20's. Her long hair was a dull lavender and her eyes shone red. She had purple horns on her head, as well as fangs. A white silk shirt covered her top torso, ran down her ribs, and circled around her at her waist into shorts. Her skin was pale – almost as if she hasn't been in the sunlight in ages. She was the cause of the glow. It was strange, though. My vision started fuzzing up.

"It seems like you've met with quite the fate, ending up in this world. But you have a sword - you must be a warrior. We need someone like you to help us, so that's a good thing. I wonder how things will play out…"

I only got a glimpse of her before I fainted. When I woke up, I went over what she said. "Ending up in this world"? That would explain quite a lot. And if that sign that said "beware of spirits" meant something, would she be one of those spirits? She didn't seem like she was a human, and she seemed powerful and dangerous. I used my sword to help myself stand up. I was quickly knocked back down, though.

Two girls - one who was about my age with bright lime green hair and blue eyes, and the other who seemed a bit older with pink hair and orange eyes, both in guard uniforms (that revealed a bit too much, if you asked me), were chasing two other girls.

The two girls who were being chased had what seemed to be ears and a tail... The older one (who seemed about my age as well - why is everyone around here so young?) had silver hair, purple eyes, a purple dress and lightly tanned skin. The younger one was pale, had light orange-yellow hair, and pale blue eyes, held a small festival fan, and wore a yellow kimono.

"Stop, thieving fox spirits!" The pursuer with green hair yelled. She held a sword high in the air, determined to catch them.

"Give us those back!" The pink-haired pursuer ordered, holding a spear.

"Okay, Sora. You go left, I'll go right. If we can corner them, we'll catch them." The pink-haired guard said.

"Got it, Kaya!" The green-haired guard (who I can safely assume is Sora) nodded.

I followed from a safe distance. Surely the fox girls were in danger... or maybe the guard girls needed help? I rushed in, just as the fox girls were cornered. The fox girl in the kimono took out what looked like a wand, and muttered words under her breath. Sparks flashed around. The fox girl in the blue dress threw a small wooden box at me, and they both disappeared.

"Ah! Sora, it seems the fox spirits had another person helping them! He's a human, though... And he's dressed really weird!" Kaya said, inspecting me.

Yeah, I thought. I'm the weird one. Says the girl with multi-colored hair and eyes chasing after fox spirits.

"Drop the evidence, right now!" Sora ordered, pointing her sword at me.

I opened the box slowly, and saw many diamonds and other gems inside.

"Get him!" I heard one of the girls yell, and then I was tackled and thrown into darkness...

* * *

><p>Now, if you aren't into many visual novels, you wouldn't notice, but this chapter was *cough* insanely *cough* inspired by Sakura Spirit.<p> 


	4. Foxes Can

C**hapter 4  
><strong>**Foxes Can't Swim?**

I awoke chained to a wall in a cell.

"You. Who the hell are you? Why were you helping those thieving spirits?" Sora demanded.

"Be nicer, Sora-chan. He doesn't seem like he means any harm!" Kaya squeaked.

"Yukio. Kuwahara Yukio." I responded.

"Kuwahara-san. Why were you helping those kitsunes?" Kaya asked.

"It's kind of a long story," I sighed.

"We have time," Sora bleakly stated, as she sat down in front of the jail cell.

"Okay, so… I was walking in the forest when I stumbled upon a temple. A spirit of some sorts. She told me I somehow was transported into a different world. I kind of believe her – everything is so different than my world. So far all I've met are strangely dressed girls in their teen years with strange eye and hair colors. Not to mention a pair of fox girls…" I sighed. My story isn't believable.

The two girls whispered to each other. After a few minutes, one of them got up and returned with an old man. He was bald, had black eyes, was short, and wore a red robe.

"So… Tsubishi is at it again, with her spirit ways?" The old man said.

"It seems so, Elder…" Sora responded.

"What should we do?" Kaya asked.

"Hmm. I'm not sure. Its late now; let him rest. We'll deal with it tomorrow." The Elder stood up and walked away.

"Let's go prepare for our night shifts, Sora." Kaya stood up and headed outside.

"I'm watching you," Sora growled, and walked away.

I heard a giggle of laughter as two familiar fox figures appeared.

"Hey! Thanks for helping us escape earlier… Yukio was it?" The silver-haired fox girl walked up to the cage.

Holding the box, the younger fox girl walked next to her and giggled again. "I still got this! Oh yeah! Yuki-tan. For helping us, we're going to free you."

A ring of light appeared by my feet. With a flash, I was next to the fox spirits.

"Come on! You can stay with us tonight. I doubt you have anywhere to go, and why would you wanna sleep on a hard jail cell floor?" The silver haired fox spirit giggled.

"I'm Miyo," the young fox said, "and I'm a magic user, I'm sure you've noticed by now. That's onee-san!"

"I'm Aoi!" The other fox spirit said, flicking her silver ears. "We'll let you stay at our home for a while, so be grateful!"

Aoi turned around to look at us as she spoke, but tripped and fell. Squealing in terror, the fox spirit rolled down a hill and landed in the gushing river!

"Save her! She can't swim!" Miyo screeched. "I would, but I'm no better at swimming than her!"

Taking my jacket and shoes off, I jumped into the river. The water was freezing cold, but I was too full of adrenaline to care. When I finally brought her to shore, I ordered Miyo to get something to dry her off, so she ran as fast as she could to her house.

"What do I do?" I asked myself outloud. "It seems she swallowed water… Should I do CPR?" The thought of it made my cheeks turn bright red. "She saved me from that jail cell… time to save her." I sighed.

I put her into the position we were taught and sucked in air. Leaning in, I heard a chuckle."Heehee, Yuki-kun. If you wanted a kiss you could have told me!" Aoi giggled.

"I'm just trying to save you!" I sighed, getting up.

"Brr, it's so cold. Warm me up~" Aoi giggled, this time louder.

"Miyo should be here soon with some towels…" I mumbled.

Aoi pulled me in close and hugged me. "Ahh so warm~" she sighed. "Thanks for saving me!

I managed to pull myself away, and on cue I heard pounding footsteps and the screech of Miyo yelling "I'm here with towelllss!"

She banged into me, knocking me to the ground. I felt exhaustion slowly take over me, and slipped into peaceful unconsciousness..

When I woke up, I was inside a room in a bed, probably Miyo and Aoi's house. I felt something on my arm, and when I turned over, I saw Aoi cuddled up against me, asleep. We were both wearing warm, fuzzy robes.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" Miyo greeted me. "While you were out cold, Aoi suggested you two lay together for warmth. Of course, I had to get you out of those cold, wet clothes. Don't worry; I closed my eyes while I did it!"

"Ah-!" I started to scream out of embarrassment, but she silenced me.

"Shh. Aoi is a light sleeper! Don't wake her…" she whispered. "Anyway, your clothes are dry now. I left them behind the screen over there. I'm going to go and make you some soup to warm up. Be back in a bit!"

Miyo left me alone with Aoi. I have to admit, she was kind of cute and peaceful lying there. I didn't want to disturb her, and I was still exhausted, so I let sleep take over me again.

* * *

><p>This is the middle chapter of the... Sakura Spirit inspired era? Yeah I'll call it that. There's one more chapter, then we'll move onto some original stuff - whenever I write a story I always need to base it off of something I've seen before so I can get an idea of how to go the rest.<p> 


	5. Who is Tsubishi?

**Chapter 5  
><strong>**Who is Tsubishi?**

I awoke about an hour later to Aoi trying to push me off the bed. "Sorry to wake you up. You're so cute lying next to me like that, but Miyo made soup!"

"Did you have to try to push me off the bed, though?" I growled.

"Hmm. Yup! You were sprawled out over the entire thing, and I had no room!" The fox girl laughed as I stood up.

With a red face, I got changed.

While eating, I told them the story of how I arrived at this world. I was shocked how easily they took it. But then again… I'm shocked how easily I'M taking it.

Then, I had to ask a question that's been bugging me…

"Why were you two stealing diamonds from those guards? You don't seem like the types who would steal…" I asked.

"Well, you see… I'm trying to do a spell, but to do that I need a 'gem of love'. I didn't know how to find the 'of love' part, but I heard villagers talking about those girls having some rare diamonds."

"Hmm. In my world, I've heard someone call a wedding ring a 'gem of love' before. Maybe that's what they meant? It's unlikely, but at least it's an idea."

"Maybe. But how will I get married? Will you marry me, Yuki-kun?" Miyo asked, hope sparkling in her eyes.

"M-Maybe… It's not like there's anyone back at home I like. But still; I need to get back home." I sighed.

After a few minutes of silence, I said, "How about this! When I go back home, I'll win that tournament just for you. I'll use the prize money to buy a nice wedding ring. Then I'll figure out how to get back here!"

"Aww, but I wanted to marry you, Yuki-kun!" Aoi cried with jealousy.

I laughed. "I guess it doesn't matter, as long as it's a ring that can be used for the spell…" I was doubtful that I'd actually marry either of them, but at least it cheered them up…

"Anyway, do you have any idea who that spirit, Tsubishi, is? I heard the guards talking about her when I was in jail, and if my guess is correct, that's the spirit I met in the temple" I asked.

Aoi stiffened, her ears and tail sticking up. "Erm… She's a spirit with powers stronger than anyone else's. Based on your story, she brought you here. So, it's time for me to tell you a story… Back when we were toddlers, the spirit world and this world merged. A few unlucky spirits managed to get stuck here. Miyo, me, and another spirit who's caused nothing but trouble. Thanks to her, we have a bad image. The villagers hate us, and the chief even declared us public enemies! Even though we did nothing, we still can't come anywhere near the place or they'll kill us. Maybe Tsubishi sent you here so you can clear this up? She may be a powerful spirit, but still… She can't influence humans' or spirits' actions…"

"Let's go talk to her, then!" I declared.

"Onee-san is a bit… scared of her," Miyo said. "Because she has powers stronger than us. She's kinda like a guardian of some sorts."

"I want to go, but we're powerless there," Aoi said. "But… hold on." The fox spirit left the room and came back a few minutes later with a sort of gem tied to a string. "Wear this around your neck. I can see and hear everything you do with it, and we can communicate! Anyway, it seems like that tournament is very important to you. We should hurry and head to the shrine so we can get you back home."

"Nah. We shouldn't rush. The tournament is in a few months, anyway! Why not take our times?" I suggested.

"Good idea. Now… tell me more about marriage," Miyo started. It was cute; I didn't want to ruin her dreams by telling her we couldn't get married.

"Well, there are many instances. In a household where the husband works and the wife takes care of the other things, the wife is called a 'housewife', but then there can be a relationship where the husband and wife both work and support the family equally.

"I don't like working. I'd prefer to be a… housewife, is it? What do they do?" She asked, ears twitching.

"Tasks like cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, getting food, and other things." I responded. "Though I don't like the instances where the husband is treated like the superior one and the wife can't do anything unless the husband says she can. That's another thing – a long time ago wives were treated like they weren't good for anything but cleaning and cooking. Things have changed though, and they have more respect. Some are even the head of the households!"

"Cool! I don't think I would be able to support an entire family, but at least I get respect." There was a pause. "Well anyway, thanks for teaching me. Now, wanna help me get some apples for the desert? Did I mention I'm a good cook? See… more perks of marrying me!" She cheerfully skipped outside.

I looked at Aoi. "I kind of feel bad for her… What if I can't return?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I've already mastered the spell she needs to use. I don't want her to know; she'll never be good at magic if she can't learn more spells. This specific spell is a portal spell; it can teleport anyone anywhere. When you leave, after a few months I'll reveal it. That amulet I gave you can also link to my magic, but only if I activate it. When you leave, after a few months, I'll activate it again, and you can might be able to return. She'll be so happy, and the best part is you can come and go from this realm as you wish! …But that is, if it works." She sighed.

"Oh wow. I'm sure it'll work. Thanks for everything, too; you guys are so nice. I like it here. Good thing I met you two instead of that other evil spirit. Now, time to go help her pick apples for that desert." I walked outside, nodding once again at Aoi.

* * *

><p>The whole 'marriage talk' was basically my younger cousin's explanation of being married.<br>Anyway, starting to pick up why I marked this as 'romance'? Hmm?


	6. Learning About This World

**Chapter 6  
>Learning about this World<strong>

As Miyo and I were outside, I started asking her about this realm.

"Okay, so first, the question that's really been bugging me… Why do people in this world have such weird hair and eyes?"

She shrugged. "This is normal to us. Pink, purple, green, blue, silver, and yellow hair and eyes. I've always seen it, so it seems normal to me. What's with your hair? I've never seen black hair… Your eyes are blue, but they seem to be a different shade." The fox spirit leaned in closer to me. "Wow, you really are strange!"

"Coming from the fox spirit?" I joked.

"Shush! Now, be a dear and get me the basket over there?"

After we got a few good apples and checked them for worms, we went back inside

"So, Yuki-kun. Tell us about your world. You say people don't have different colored hair? What's with that?" Miyo asked as she prepared the pie.

"Well, people normally have orange, blonde, black, or brown hair, but they can dye it a different color. Eyes are either blue, brown, or green. On some occasions you can get someone who has a mix of the two colors, like a hazel sort of color. I'm not sure why they're both different in each world, though…"

"You like my eyes, right?" Aoi asked, leaning closer and widening her eyes.

"Well, I sure have never seen purple eyes before. They're cool," I laughed.

A few hours later of talking (which was basically just them asking about my world, and Miyo getting hopeful about marriage) the pie was done, and worth the wait.

"Hmm, I've never had a pie so good before. The apples are amazing! This world is great," I said, stretching after finishing my 3rd slice. "That's the last time I go all day without eating."

I just remember a question that's been on my mind for a while. "Anyway, Aoi. I meant to ask this earlier… Why don't you use your magic? You said you have magic abilities, but you've never used them before…"

"I specialize in transformation abilities," Miyo flicked her ears at the answer. "All kitsune spirits do, actually. Basically you can transform into something or change something's appearance, but Miyo here doesn't like those powers."

"I see. I think it would be pretty cool! Anyway, I think we should go and return these jewels to those girls in the village," I said, licking my plate.

"I already did. Earlier I used a simple portal spell to transport the box back. If the villagers saw us they'd probably try to kill us!" Miyo flicked her ears and twitched her tail.

"Wow, magic is helpful. If I could, I'd like to learn a few of those abilities. They sure would help my daily life back at home," I laughed to myself.

"Well… why not? Magic isn't something you can do, it's something that can be unlocked. This world – I'm sure it's the same with yours – has invisible pools of chi that float around everywhere. When you learn how to control that chi, that's how you can use magic!" Aoi said, tossing me a blue stick.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"You need something to channel that chi, and those things can only be made by someone else who already can use magic," Miyo started. "We learned at an early age, though it's hard to remember much about our lives in the spirit world since we came here at such a young age."

"Oh, cool. It's late though, can we do it tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure. But you know, there are only two bedrooms in this house! Who will you sleep with?" Miyo asked, poking my cheek.

"Ehh… I'll sleep on the couch," I said, cheeks starting to turn red remembering earlier. "Have any spare blankets or pillows?"

That night, I slept uncomfortably on their small couch. Maybe I should have asked to sleep with one of them instead.

The next morning, Miyo was already awake making breakfast.

"Oh, morning! What do you want to eat?" She asked, brushing the crumbs from the pie off the table.

"Well, have any bagels?" I asked.

I watched her disappear as she bent down, opening the drawer that held bread and rolls. Her head appeared again and she put a few of the bagels on the counter.

"How do you toast them?" I asked.

"Toast them? What's 'toast' mean?" Miyo turned her head to look at me with pure confusion on her face.

"Well, in my world we have these boxes called 'toasters'. You put bread or bagels in them, turn it on, and they get hotter." I scratched my head. It wasn't the best explanation in the world…

Aiming her wand at the bagels on the counter, she smiled. Muttering a few words, sparks flew around and they turned a darker brown. "Like this?" She asked, joy and pride on her face.

"Exactly," I said, walking over and picking up one of them. "Now, do you have any butter?"

When Aoi came down, Miyo toasted another bagel. When we all finished, it was time for their daily chores.

"Wanna help me pick some fruits from the orchards?" Miyo asked.

"Or you can always help me scrub the toilet," Aoi sighed.

Outside, the air was crisp, and cherry blossom petals flew around the air.

"Why are there cherry blossoms in bloom already?" I asked. "It's too cold out."

"Those are called Millennium Sakura Trees. They're always in bloom, and they're so nice to look at. The leaves never die, and they have cherries on them year-long!" Miyo exclaimed, climbing one of the trees to pick a big, ripe cherry. "The best part is, the fruits they hold are bigger than normal – waahh!" I flinched as Miyo slipped and fell off the branch. Catching her, I picked up the cherries she dropped.

"You ok?" I asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for saving me," she smiled.

After picking all of the cherries from the trees, we headed back in.

That was life, for the past month. We had good food, laughed, learned more about each other's worlds, did daily chores, and at the end of each day I slept on the uncomfortable couch.

One night, I found myself waking up to a ring of light around me. When the light faded, I was in Miyo's room, lying on the floor, and she was looking down at me.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"You seemed so uncomfortable on the couch. Come lay with me!" She pulled me up onto the bed.

"Hmm. All right, but just for tonight," I sighed. "And tomorrow, I think we should finally go to Tsubishi's shrine."

"All right! Night-night, Yuki-kun!" She crawled into bed and fell asleep instantly. Sighing, I drifted off into sleep.

* * *

><p>PM me who you ship :-)<br>Who knows, maybe shipping my characters will be an actual thing, though I wasn't planning on shipping them!  
>YukioxMiyo, YukioxAoi, or YukioxTakara? There seem to be many YukixMiyo moments, I'll try to change that in the future, though I already have like 12 chapters already done and saved to Microsoft Word, so changes will occur past that!<p> 


	7. Meeting Tsubishi

**Chapter 7  
><strong>**Meeting Tsubishi**

The next morning, I woke up a bit later than usual. The bed felt so comfortable… I should've done it earlier.

At breakfast (which was an apple pie) I told Aoi that I was finally going to see Tsubishi.

"Okay, but be careful! She's dangerous," Aoi said, looking at the amulet she gave me, which I never took off my neck.

"I'll be fine," I sighed.

I started the trek through the woods, listening to Aoi's clear instructions with the amulet.

I finally arrived at the familiar stairs leading up to the clean-looking temple.

"Hello? Tsubishi? Are you here?" I asked.

"My, my," a familiar voice said, "it seems our paths have crossed earlier than I imagined. What brings you here today?"

"Why have you brought me to this world?" I asked. "And can you bring me back home?"

"Well, to be truthful, I've been watching you the past month…" She laughed, then continued, "What you assumed before is true. You are here to clear the names of me and the kitsunes, and something tells me that will be soon. Mere sword skills won't be enough, though… As for returning home, that is out of my power. We must just be patient until the portal to your world opens again."

"So, what?" I shrugged. "You said 'mere sword sills aren't enough', so what else can I do?" I honestly didn't care much about the portal back to my world. I liked this world.

"I think it is finally time for you to learn magic," Tsubishi smiled. Her hands started to glow, and my wand appeared. I picked it up. We were so busy this past month, there was no chance to even begin my training.

"Hmm. I'm starting to get an idea. Instead of using a wand, what if I were to channel the chi using my sword? That would make my attacks more powerful." I suggested.

"You know, for a human, that's a good idea," Tsubishi laughed. She touched my sword and I saw blue energy flow from her to my sword.

My sword started to glow. The rest after those events seemed to blur together; learning magic, shooting beams from my sword, and some other powers I can't seem to remember. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on the couch in the fox sisters' house.

"She works in strange ways," I heard Aoi say to Miyo.

"That's how she taught us, right?" I heard Miyo say. "It's hard to remember—ah! He's awake."

"I'm not sure what happened, but I feel different," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"You always feel different once you can control chi," Aoi said, picking up my sword. "Come outside. Try to attack that big boulder!"

Outside, I stood in front of a boulder. Aiming my sword, I felt chi flow through me, and a fire ball came off of the blade and landed a deadly blow to the boulder.

"Wow, that feels weird to do," I said.

"It always does… But good job! You did it!" Miyo cheered.

"Tsubishi did say the spirit was attacking the village soon, too… That's why she taught me how to use chi. So I could defend it; that was my purpose of coming here. To make you not be hated by the villagers, and to defeat the evil spirit."

"But, if you defeat it, we won't look good in their eyes. Only you will!" Sighing, the younger fox sister sat down on a patch of moss.

"That's why you both are going to help me," I smiled, crouching down to look at her.

* * *

><p>Well, well, well, look what we have here. A short chapter.<p> 


	8. Evil Spirit of Elements: Yoso

**Chapter 8  
><strong>**The Evil Spirit of Elements: Yoso**

Screams could be heard from the village, even though we were so deep in the forest.

"Oh no! She's already attacking…" Miyo sighed.

"So… who is she?" I asked.

"Her name is Yoso; she's an evil spirit who can control elements. You know – water, earth, fire, air," Aoi explained as we all ran to the village.

Yoso was sitting inside of a burning building, ransacking the food storage area. There were many screams around her, and we saw Sora and Kaya there too.

"Wait," I said. "Let them try first, so we know what we're up against."

"I'm going to get the Elder! Try to hold her off for as long as you can," Kaya yelled.

Yoso's white hair and blue eyes turned red, and she shot fire from her hands. She growled, "Why must you interrupt me? I am doing nothing wrong, except sitting here trying to enjoy this free food."

"You came to this village, scared everybody to death, destroyed houses and buildings, and now you are stealing our food! You must be brought to justice!" Sora pointed her sword at the spirit.

Hair and eyes turning yellow, the sword went right through her. Beams of light came out of her hands, nearly hitting Sora.

"Sharpened sticks won't damage me," Yoso laughed. "You are a weak human with no magic ability – how do you expect to hurt me?" Her hair and eyes turned brown, and the earth that was once a part of the ground flew up, pinning Sora to a building.

"Let's go," I whispered.

From our hiding spot, the fox spirits and I rushed out and caught her be surprise. Shooting a fire ball from my sword, I managed to land a blow.

"Gah! A human who can use magic? How is this possible?" Yoso was clearly shocked. Her hair and eyes turned blue, and from the river flowing behind the village, water rushed out, like a tsunami. I tried to block the wave from hitting the fox spirits by slicing the wave in half. Instead, the water glowed blue and turned to ice, shattering.

While she was stunned from me blocking a massive wave, I rushed at Yoso, shooting a series of flame balls at her.

Eyes and hair turning black, she growled, "You may have won this time, but I'll be back!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Miyo said. They were both pointing at her with wands, and recited a spell that made a circle of light appear under her. Just like that, she vanished.

Kaya ran towards us with the Elder. "See? He's back!"

Sora managed to free herself, and looked at us in disgust. "What are those two spirits doing here? See… I knew this boy was with them!"

The Elder sighed. "Show appreciation, Sora. These three saved our village from the spirit who has been tormenting us, and it's time we repay them."

Later that night, a feast was thrown. No villagers were harmed, but some were in shock. The three of us ate like there was no tomorrow.

The chief of the village spoke up. "These fox spirits are no longer our enemies! They – and this boy – saved our village from disaster. They are now welcomed as heroes!"

Suddenly, a burst came from outside the feasting hall. Tsubishi rushed in, and Aoi stiffened.

"Yukio! The portal to your world is opened… but it will close any second!"

I looked at Miyo and nodded, then looked at Aoi and smiled, remembering my agreement with the younger fox and my plan with the older one. Hugging them both, I said, "I'll be back, both of you. Be patient, it won't be long."

Picking up my sword, I rushed to follow Tsubishi, who led me to a spot between two Millennium Sakura Trees. "Just walk through here and you will return… I thank you for all you have done for this world. You are a hero forever."

Walking through the portal, I turned around one last time and saw Miyo and Aoi standing next to Tsubishi, smiling.


	9. Returning

**Chapter 9  
><strong>**Returning**

I returned back home. Time seemed to have stopped in my absence, so it was like nothing ever happened. I decided not to tell anyone what happened, and walked home.

A month later was my birthday – I turned 18. I had a party and invited all my friends from school. It was nice to resume my normal human life. I always kept the amulet Aoi gave me around my neck.

A week later, Takara had a tournament of her own. She got second place, but she was still amazing.

I won the tournament a month later. When I was offered a chance to go to the international championship, I turned them down. I told them I had to fulfill a promise I made to a girl. At least I got the prize money of ¥250,000 – which was enough to get that ring.

I went to the jewelry store the week after, and bought a ring I thought Miyo would love. Every day after that I checked the amulet, but nothing happened. I went into the woods one day, and walked as deep as possible, but somehow ended up back where I started.

Finally, on a winter night a few months later, something happened. My sword was reacting strangely. It was glowing, and so was the amulet. I picked up the sword, and a circle of light appeared beneath me. I fell through what seemed like an endless hole. At the end of the tunnel, I saw light. Aoi and Miyo were at the bottom. Reaching into my pocket, I felt the ring. Somehow it was there, when I was almost positive I left it at home.

I fell from the sky, and landed with a thud on the ground below. Miyo was crying in her sister's arms. "I'm telling you, it won't work!"

"Now, little one… I'm sure it will…" Aoi comforted her.

Turning around, Miyo noticed me and her eyes shone. Aoi looked a bit shocked to see me. They both hug tackled me to the ground.

"Yuki-kun! You're here!" Miyo cheered.

"I could never forget that promise I made you, silly," I laughed.

We went back into their house. Man, I missed this place.

"Now, Miyo-chan. There's something I want to give you!" I said, smiling as I reached into my pocket to reveal a diamond ring.

"Does that mean… we'll get married?" She said, smiling.

"Well… we're far too young, but who knows? Maybe one day. Now, you can us that spell! We can go to my world, and you can see how I live."

"Sure! Oh… but won't humans be scared to see me? Spirits aren't things you see in your world…" Miyo sighed, seeming to gather up some courage. "I have an idea! I've been learning to not be scared of illusion spells. If Aoi can make us look human – you know, take away the ears and tails – we can fit in just fine."

"I'm up for it," Aoi said, reaching for her wand.

Miyo placed the ring on her finger, and muttered a few words I couldn't understand. Aoi did the same, and with a flash, we all appeared back in my house.

They both looked different, though. Neither of them had fox tails or ears, and they were wearing different clothes, ones that people in this world normally wear.

"So this is your house, huh?" Miyo asked, looking around and observing everything.

"I hope you have more than one bedroom," Aoi laughed, nudging Miyo and me with her elbow.

"Gah, shush," I said, my cheeks turning red.

"So, let me show you around this world. Of course, it's too big to show you the entire world, so let's start with the city…" I said.

"Oh no. I'm still not that comfortable around many humans, so I think I'll stay here," Aoi said.

"If you want, then okay. Let's go, Miyo," I grabbed her hand and led her to my car.

"What's that?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.

"We call it a 'car'. It's an easy way for older humans to easily transport to places," I explained.

"Are we going in it? It looks scary," Miyo slowly backed away.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt you. But if you want, we can walk. It'll take a while, though. I hope you're up for it," I sighed.

"Let's walk…" Miyo shivered, adjusting the jacket Aoi created.

"First, here is the Yasogami Market. It's where we buy food and other daily needs like clothes." I stopped in front of the big supermarket.

"Cool! Can you buy me something?" Miyo asked, eyes shining.

"Well… what do you want?" I said, shrugging.

"Hmm… maybe a new jacket. The one Aoi created isn't that warm, and it's too cold out." Miyo pointed to the thin jacket.

Inside, after a half hour of looking at jackets, she finally found one she liked. It was expensive, but I got it. It made her happier, anyway.

"Now where should we go… Ah, I got it! There is a huge food court a few minutes away. I'm hungry, we can get something good. What would you want?" I asked.

As we walked, I found Takara heading to the food court, too.

"Hey, Taka-chan," I waved.

"Who's that?" Miyo asked, getting a bit jealous.

"Just a childhood friend," I sighed.

"Hey, Yuki-kun! Who's this? Your new ladyyy?" She giggled

"Gah, shush!" I blushed.

"I'm Miyo!" Miyo giggled.

"Nice to meet you, Miyo – I'm Takara," Takara put her hand out, expecting Miyo to shake it back.

Whispering to me, Miyo said, "Why is her hand out like that?"

"Put your hand out and shake hers," I responded.

Miyo extended her arm and grabbed Takara's hand awkwardly, shaking back and forth wildly.

"She's… not from around here," I said. "So I'm giving her a tour of the town. Want to come to the food court with us?"

"Sorry, I can't. I have to go to my brother's sumo match. Bye guys!" Takara walked away, waving and smiling.

"I don't like her," Miyo muttered.

"Why, because she can be some form of contest for you?" I laughed.

"Well… uh. Anyway, there's the food court!" Miyo walked ahead, avoiding the question.

I ordered a salad for Miyo and some takoyaki for myself.

"What's that?" Miyo asked, pointing to the takoyaki.

"It's called takoyaki; pieces of octopus cooked in a wheat-flour batter, with soy sauce on top." I explained. "It's good; here, try some!"

Miyo picked up a toothpick and bit off the takoyaki. "Wow! It's so much better than this salad."

"Want me to order you some?" I asked. "We can bring the salad for Aoi."

After we ate, we got a box for the salad and went back home to Aoi, who was back in her fox form curled up on the couch sleeping.

Poking her cheek, Miyo whispered, "Wake up, onee-san! We brought you some food."

Yawning, Aoi stretched and twitched her ears. "Oh, sounds good," she yawned, "what is it?"

"It's a salad. Hurry up and eat, I'm tired and want to go back home soon," Miyo yawned.

"Tired? I'm wide awake!" Aoi stretched and stood up, eating the salad in a few bites.

"That's because you were asleep the entire time!" Miyo muttered. "Anyway, I'll be going back home now. Bye, Yuki-kun! Don't be too late, onee-san."

"Bye Miyo-chan. See you tomorrow!" I waved as the circle of light around her slowly faded.

When she was gone, Aoi stretched and said, "Hmm. Thanks so much. You really made Miyo happy."

"Well, you two are my friends. I'd hate for you both to be sad!" Yawning, I sat down. "I am pretty tired, though."

"All righty. I'll be going, too. See you tomorrow!" Aoi waved as she disappeared, the circle of light lingering for a minute before it vanished.


	10. A Familiar Face

**Chapter 10  
><strong>**Another Familiar Face**

That night, I had a dream. I was back in the forest, and met Tsubishi again.

She gave me a warning. "Two worlds are about to cross. Nothing will be the same again."

What two worlds could she mean? My world and Miyo's? The spirit world and Miyo's? My world and the spirit world?

When I woke up, I felt the urge to go speak with Tsubishi. Using the amulet Aoi gave me, I was able to successfully return to her world.

I was a bit off track, so it took a while to find the village, which was marked by a few Millennium Sakura Trees.

I saw a faint outline if a certain spirit – Tsubishi.

"You… you called me here, didn't you?" I asked. "I had a dream, and…"

She stopped me from finishing the sentence. "Yes, I called you here."

"But… why, exactly? In my dream you said 'two worlds are about to cross'? What two worlds?" I was so confused.

"That is a question even I cannot answer. All will be revealed in due time, Yukio." Tsubishi started walking forward, waving for me to follow.

"Why did you call me here? What are these worlds that are going to cross?" I kept asking these questions, but she didn't answer; she just kept leading me somewhere.

Eventually, we got to a cave. Inside, she showed me something I can't even imagine. There were two floating orbs, one looked like it resembled Earth in its form of Pangea – how it was before all of the continents separated. The other orb looked like Earth in modern time; all seven continents. They were about a meter apart, each second getting closer…

"What… is this?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Over here," she began, motioning to the Pangea Earth, "is the spirit world, and over here," she walked to the other side of the cave, pointing to the normal Earth, "is your world."

I didn't notice it, but in the way back there was another orb, though it wasn't moving at all.

"What about the one in the back?" I questioned.

The guardian spirit walked to the back of the cave. "This is this world. As you can see, it is perfectly fine, but the spirit world and your world are beginning to merge, just like this world and the spirit world once did. There is nothing that can be done to stop it, but once they do, evil spirits like Yoso will emerge across the land."

"How do we stop them, then?" Things were starting to make sense… but it was still confusing.

"You must locate all of the spirit gates and close them. They are not in your own world, though. You are going to need to enter the spirit world. As you can see, the spirit world is only one big area of land, so that should be helpful. Even though you possess the power to warp between worlds, you will need help from the kitsune spirits to get to the spirit world; it has a stronger force of energy."

"But, where are all of the spirit gates? How many of them are there?" I asked.

Sighing, Tsubishi put both of her arms out. A purple staff materialized in her hands. Placing the end on the stone ground of the cave, she muttered words I couldn't hear, and my amulet Aoi gave me revealed a map on the flat surface of the gem, one that looked just like the spirit world, with blue dots to tell me where each gate was.

"Our beings are linked, now," Tsubishi explained. "If you need any help, hold out the amulet in your hands and call for me. I'm sure you noticed that now there is a map as well."

"Wow, this amulet has proven to be a helpful little item," I joked to myself.

"Go, now, to the fox sisters. You need to solve this within a week's time, or it will be too late," Tsubishi ordered. "I wish you luck on your journey, Yukio."

With a snap of her fingers, she disappeared, and I found myself back in my house in the real world.

The amulet started to glow, and I heard a familiar voice – Aoi. "Hey? Yuki-kun? Does this thing work? Anyway, I heard what happened!" Ah. I had forgotten that the amulet can communicate with Aoi.

"Does Miyo-chan know, too?" I responded. "If she does, that would make things much easier, because we're all caught up."

Then, I heard Miyo's voice. "Yup! I know exactly what's happening. So, are we gonna do it?"

"Of course we are. To save my world!" I exclaimed, already preparing to go to the spirit world. "I'm preparing as we speak – I'll be at your house in an hour."

As I packed the necessities for living away, I began to think of how much my best friend doesn't know about me. Picking up the phone, I started to dial her number.

"Hello?" I heard on the other line.

Quickly, I hung up. I had no idea how I was even supposed to begin to explain the situation. I'll just have to tell her another time…

I picked up my bag and activated the portal spell, looking down at my sword as my house faded around me.

"Welcome back, Yuki-kun!" Miyo greeted with a huge smile on her face. "Ready for an adventure?"

"I would say you guys shouldn't come along because it's dangerous," I began, "but you're my only ticket in and out of that world – if one of us is defeated, we're all stuck there forever!"

"Don't worry! I'm strong, and I have a knight to protect me!" Miyo squealed, hugging me. "You'll protect me, right?"

"As long as it doesn't kill me, sure," I laughed.

"What does that mean!?" Miyo cried, falling over with disappointment. "You value your own life over mine?"

"You said it, not me," I laughed.

"Well, if we're done here, why don't we get going?" Aoi suggested, while brushing her ears.

"That's a good idea. Are you both prepared?"

The fox sisters nodded; each one was carrying a small bag with food and other things we'd need.

"Tsubishi told you we all need to do the spell at the same time, right?" Aoi asked.

"Yup… Ready?" I took out my sword, pointing it at the middle of the three of us.

The fox sisters pointed their wands at the circle, and a circle of light appeared around us all.

"Let's go!" we cheered.

* * *

><p>This marks the halfway point of the story... 10 chapters to go. Not to give away too much but a big plot twist in a few chapters.<br>Also, next up: Bonding! (kinda)


	11. The Spirit World

**Chapter 11  
><strong>**The Spirit World**

We arrived at the spirit world, with an after effect of a bright ring that lasted for a few minutes.

"So this is where we were born, huh?" Aoi said in awe.

"Yup, and now we need to close each gate," I said, checking the amulet map. "The first gate is only a few miles away! I'm sure we'll reach it by sundown, if we keep going."

"That's soo much walking!" Miyo complained.

"Aw, come on. We can take a break if we have to," I sighed.

"Can I ride on your back?" she asked.

"If you get to the point when you really can't walk at all… fine," I muttered.

During the long walk, the place seemed fairly quiet. There weren't that many spirits around; the ones we encountered were kind enough to leave us alone.

"Oh no! The sun is setting!" Aoi cried.

"We'll just have to set up camp. Good thing I thought ahead and packed camping supplies," I said, setting my bag down. "Can one of you go collect wood while I set the tents up?"

"I'll go!" Miyo squeaked, running off into the forest.

"Don't get lost!" Aoi called.

I smiled at Aoi. "You know, it's nice how you both look out for each other."

Sighing, the fox spirit responded, "Well… We've been all alone all our lives. Since we were so young when we left this world, we learned to look out for each other." Smiling, she added, "But I see you've started to look out for her, too."

"Well, I'd hate for either of you to get hurt. You both are really growing on me."

"Wait. What the hell does is supposed to mean?" Aoi gave me a contemptuous look.

"Uh…" Crap; I could've worded that one better. "I just mean… I didn't know how to think of you guys when I first arrived in your world. I've never seen fox spirits before, and you were kinda stealing from people…"

"I can tell you aren't very good at wording things, so I'll let you off the hook." Smiling, she added, "Especially around a girl as pretty as me…"

After I had the tents set up, Miyo returned with an armful of firewood. Setting them down, she said, "It was a pain finding wood that wasn't too small, old, rotted, and wet around here, but I found a few good ones."

"I brought some snacks from my world, just in case we couldn't find anything to eat here," I said, taking out three containers of takoyaki.

"Ohh!" Miyo cheered. "Takoyaki!"

"Yup, eat up. I brought enough so we can all have one container per day."

After we ate, we sat around talking until the fire died down and the moon was high. Yawning, I said, "Well, I'm off to bed. If any of you need me, I won't be going anywhere; just call for me in my tent."

"Night, Yuki-kun," Aoi sighed, equally as tired after a long day.

"Nighty-night," Miyo waved, bouncing off into her tent, Aoi following.

I walked into my tent and started getting changed, reflecting on the day, and soon heard the rustling of the tent being opened.

"Yuki-kun?" I heard Miyo mutter.

"Gah! I'm getting changed!" I yelped, pulling my pants on.

"Sorry… But there was a spider in our tent. Aoi didn't care, but I can't sleep in there with a bug!" She shook herself, as if there were bugs crawling up her body.

I sighed. "Fine, if you really want to." I laid down and got under the blanket, seeing Miyo tuck herself next to me.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you while you sleep," she giggled.

Sighing one last sigh, I drifted off into sleep.

Miyo said she wouldn't do anything in my sleep. What a lie. I woke up several times to her hugging me like a full-body pillow. When I pushed her off and fell asleep, I would always end up waking back up to the same scene.

"Morning both of you," I heard Aoi call from the other tent.

"Morning, onee-san," Miyo greeted. She seemed to not even have noticed the fact that she was still holding onto me like a pillow. When she did, she added, "Haha, sorry," and walked outside.

"Well, we should really pack up and find the gate as soon as we can," I yawned, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. "We have 6 days now, and we have 5 gates to close."

"Okay, let's hurry and get ready as soon as possible!" Aoi encouraged. When she saw me struggling to pack the tents, she added, " I'll help you with the tents!"

While we were setting up the tents, Aoi stopped. Glancing around to make sure Miyo wasn't looking, she whispered to me, "You should know there wasn't a spider in our tent. She just wanted an excuse to sleep with you."

"I thought so," I sighed. This was the spirit world, there wouldn't be any real-world creatures here.

When we were finally finished and walking to the first gate, I opened my bag and took our three more takoyaki containers. "Remember, this is all you have for today, so make it last. If you need water, I have a canteen just in case."

"Thanks, Yuki-kun," Miyo squeaked, taking the container and eating a takoyaki.

"Make it last, little one," Aoi sighed.

"Sorry, onee-san," Miyo muttered, closing her container.

"No worries. But we're back to surviving in the wilderness, just like before we met Tsubishi and she gave us that house."

After a few more hours of walking, I stopped. "What's wrong, Yuki-kun?" Aoi asked.

"Well… the amulet says we're at the gate, but there's no gate to be found. Tsubishi told me it would be noticeable, bu-" I was cut off when a huge waterspout pushed a flat rock into the air. With a crash, the rock fell back to the ground.

"What the…" Miyo gazed in awe as the water spout pushed the rock back up, and flinched when it landed again.

"Look up…" Aoi whispered. Looking up, I saw… a huge floating land mass. The hole in the ground where the water spouts were matched the floating land mass, like it was ripped right out of the ground…

* * *

><p>Huh? I smell Skypiea! *sniff* Nah not really. Just a floating island.<p> 


	12. The Sky Island

**Chapter 12  
><strong>**The Sky Island**

"What is it?" Miyo squealed.

"It's the location of the gate," I responded. "I read in mythology once that a huge water spout pushed a chunk of land into the sky. The clouds around there were dense, so it stayed floating. Of course… I never thought it would be true, because scientifically speaking… it's impossible."

"What do we do?" Aoi asked, craning her neck to get a good look.

"Come on," I ordered, grabbing their hands and jumping onto the massive flatrock.

"Wait, Yuki-ku-" Miyo's beg was cut off as the rock was pushed into the air.

"Hold on!" I ordered, grabbing them both and jumping onto the sky island.

The landing was shaky, but we all made it there in one piece.

"That was so stupid!" Aoi screamed. "What if one of us fell and got hurt? We'd all be trapped in this world, then!"

"But we all made it safe because I was there to make sure of it," I laughed. "Anyway, that was fun, but we need to deactivate the gate."

About a mile in diameter, it wasn't that hard to locate the gate. It was on a small platform. The gate itself was a stone archway, with symbols engraved in a language that looked like English.

"What does that say?" Miyo asked.

"I've been studying English… I believe it says… 'Thou shall enter when two worlds combine.' So basically, what Tsubishi told us." I replied.

"Look, Yuki-kun. On the other side," Aoi called to us. "There's a keyhole here. It looks the same size and shape of that amulet."

Placing the amulet in the keyhole, Miyo squealed again. "Look! The words changed!"

I walked over, and she was right. "It says, 'Thou who has deactivated the gate, face the consequences.'"

"Uh-oh. We should get off this isla-" Aoi's warning was cut short when a spirit monster appeared.

Huge, pointy horns and a red glowing doglike body, this was unlike anything I've seen before.

"Run!" I yelled.

I saw Aoi zoom past me, and then heard a squeal from Miyo. "Help!" The creature knocked her down, and was getting ready to shoot lava from it's mouth at her. "I sprained my ankle when he knocked me over!"

I ran over to help. Taking out my sword, I taunted the beast over to me. I chased it to the ledge of the island. With blind rage, it charged at me. Easily dodging the charge, it fell off the cliff. I could hardly make out it's limp body lying in the water.

"You okay, Miyo?" I asked, concerned about the injury.

"I can't walk," she cried.

Picking her up and putting her on my back, I turned my head as much as possible to see her. "Comfortable?" I asked.

"Yeah, thanks!" Her smile was back, and the tears were gone.

"Nice." I smiled. "Now, let's head back down. It shouldn't be that hard to down; we just jump on the rock when it comes up and get off when it's down."

The first gate was surprisingly easy; 4 more and 6 days to go; and I hoped that the next 4 were easier.

* * *

><p>Keeping track of how many days and gates was actually pretty hard. But anyway, next up: A bonding momentchapter with Aoi~ (I felt she wasn't that developed... Next chapter doesn't add much do that development but still.)


	13. Bonds

**Chapter 13  
>Bonds<strong>

That night we slept and ate well; the body of water contained fish very close to fish in the real world, and just as delicious. Miyo slept with me again, but thankfully didn't use me as a human pillow again.

After a few failed attempts of sleeping, I decided to give in to my restlessness and get up. The fire was still going, so it offered warmth to the chilly night. I saw Aoi sitting there, eating the rest of her takoyaki.

"You couldn't sleep either, huh?" she asked, twitching her ears.

"Nope," I said, stretching.

"Brr. It's so cold, even with this fire," Aoi shivered.

"Reminds me of when you slipped into that river and I had to save you," I laughed.

"Yeah, thanks for that," Aoi giggled.

"And then you forced me to warm you up," I sighed.

"Hehe, yeah."

"You know, I'm not too cold. Want my jacket?" I suggested, completely forgetting I was wearing it.

"Sure, thanks," Aoi smiled, putting the jacket on and pulling the hood up, hiding the fox ears.

After 20 minutes of silence, I yawned. "I'm getting tired, now. I'm thinking of heading to bed,"

"Okay… Yuki-kun?"

I turned around. "Hm?"

"Could you… sleep with me tonight? It's too cold, and Miyo never gets cold easily." Aoi blushed a bit asking the question.

Turning around and glancing into my tent, I saw Miyo sprawled out, taking up the entire space, sleeping soundly. Smiling, I nodded. "Just don't use me as a human pillow."

Aoi's grin grew to a big smile, and she nodded. Settling down in the tent with her, we both dozed off into a nice sleep.

A scream echoed our campground, and I jolted awake. Turning, I saw Aoi with panic on her face.

"What was that!?" she yelled, ears twitching.

"No idea… It sounded like… MIYO!" I rushed out into the other tent to see a spirit, one that resembled the same lava being from the sky island, but it was blue rather than red. Spitting a hydro bomb at me, I dodged it. Drawing my sword, I began to chase it, determined to protect Miyo.

"Pack up camp, Aoi; I'll be back as soon as possible!" I didn't even wait for a reply, my only goal was to get back Miyo.

I felt power surge through me, and my sword felt like an extension of my body. Jumping higher than I ever was able to before, a lightning bolt shot out of my hand and struck a deadly blow to the water demon.

I landed and rushed over to Miyo. "Are you okay?" I asked, scared to death.

"Yeah. He hurt my arm, but I'm fine," Miyo sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye.

"You're safe now," I sighed, hugging her. With her in my arms, we returned to camp.

Back at the camp, Aoi had finished packing and was pacing the grounds. When she saw Miyo, relief came over her and she rushed over to greet us. "Thank goodness… How did you defeat such a monster? And why do they keep coming to attack Miyo?"

"I woke up, and Yuki-kun wasn't there… I started to walk outside, when that monster came out of the lake." Shaking, I put Miyo down as she told the story.

"It's my fault. I asked him if he wanted to sleep with me last night, so without him to save you, you were taken." Aoi put her hands in her lap.

"I doubt it," I said comfortingly. "If I stayed with Miyo, the same thing could've happened to you…"

"True… But how about we all sleep together from now on?" Aoi sniffled.

"Good idea. That way we'll all stay safe. We need to depend on each other here, without one of us the others wouldn't be able to return." I nodded.

"What was that ability you did, Yuki-kun?" Miyo asked, fear gone from her eyes.

"I have… no idea. I felt immense power flowing through me, and then it felt like I was made of electricity, so I concentrated that power on that beast…" I shrugged, putting my sword away.

"Are you in any condition to walk, Miyo?" Aoi asked, checking for injuries.

"I should be fine for the rest of the journey," she sighed.

"No way. I'll carry you. We can't afford you getting taken again," I ordered.

"Fine," Miyo shrugged. When I put her on my back, she giggled.

I checked the amulet and pointed north. "That's the closest gate's direction. You guys ready? We have 5 days to go. We'll have to keep walking all day if we want to get there before sunset."

I looked at Aoi, who turned to look at Miyo on my back. We all nodded and set out for the next gate – no matter how dangerous, we would do anything to save my world.

* * *

><p>Yay for slight bonding with characters. Miyo, you always gotta ruin the moment by getting kidnapped, gosh. D:<p> 


	14. More Foxes?

**Chapter 14**

**More Foxes?**

We walked miles and miles all day in silence. With no other way of transportation, we had to walk, and sadly this was the closest gate. Hopefully we wouldn't encounter any enemies.

"FINALLY!" I declared, setting Miyo down on a rock. "We're finally here. I don't see any enemies, and it's right there, so let's go."

I saw the same words on the archway as last time, and when I placed the amulet down, they changed.

"What does it say this time, Yuki-kun?" Miyo asked, pointing to the new words.

"Hmm. 'Rewards come in many shapes in sizes; perhaps saving your pitiful world is a reward.' Obviously this being – whatever it is who writes these – knows what's happening in our world." I scratched my head. "Well, let's get out before anything chases us."

Surprisingly enough, nothing happened... We walked in the next direction of the 3rd gate until sunset, and then set up camp.

While I was setting up the tent, Aoi and Miyo were working on the camp fire. I heard whispering, then I heard Miyo say to me, "Hey, Yuki-kun. Who would you rather marry?"

"Huh?" It was such a random question…

Aoi laughed. "Remember how you said you'd marry one of us?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't actually mean that I'd-"

"Who will it be?" Miyo giggled. "Me, right? Since you gave me the ring." She waved her ring finger at me, the diamond sparkling in the sunset.

"I don't feel comfortable answering that," I sighed. "You're both pretty, nice, funny, and smart. I can't pick one, but I can't pick both."

"It's obvious that it's Miyo," Aoi giggled. "Just admit your love for each other already!"

"Look, we can do all this lovey-dovey stuff once my world is saved," I mumbled. "Can we just find the last 3 gates? Then we'll play things out from there."

"Oh, fine," Miyo said, sighing. Turning to Aoi, she whispered, but not quietly enough, "I know it's me, though."

Aoi giggled and said, "Mhm, it's so obvious!"

"I can hear each word you are saying," I sighed. "Anyway, just in case of danger, we should take guard shifts. I'll go first, ok?"

"Okay, Yuki-_sama_," Miyo said, adding in the '-sama' mockingly.

"Gah!" I swatted at her to go inside the tent with Aoi.

Lighting the fire with a spark spell, I began my long post. I tried many things to pass time; sharpening and polishing my sword, looking for constellations, watching shooting stars (which, when I think about it, with no pollution or lights, the sky at night is really pretty) and eventually got so bored I tried to see how many fire balls I could juggle on my sword. Then, when all else failed, I decided to reflect on who I would marry. Of course, I wouldn't immediately marry one of them; we'd have to be dating for a while. We'd be far too young to get married yet.

Sighing, I decided to brush off the thought; first I need to save the Earth. Then I'll worry about relationship problems…

Out of nowhere, I heard a rustling. "Who's there?" I called, picking up my sword. There it was again; that surge of electricity. "Reveal yourself at once."

From the bushes, two white ears poked up, revealing a blonde girl with green eyes and what looked like a swimsuit. Her tail twitched as she walked into the clearing. A fox spirit.

"I… I was observing you for a few hours," she said – almost whispered. "I know you're with fox spirits."

"Yeah? What's it have to do with you?" I questioned, pointing the sword at her.

"I- I- I live in a village of fox spirits. The ones you were with looked familiar. Can I talk to them?" She sat down on a tree stump with her hands up, showing me she meant no harm.

Still holding the sword at her, I called out, "Miyo? Aoi?"

I heard a squeaky yawn and saw Miyo's head poke out. "Hm? Ah! Aoi!"

Aoi looked and saw the fox spirit as well, pure shock on her face.

"Do you know her?" I asked.

Miyo stepped closer, holding an orb of light to get a better look. "It's hard to remember something from such a long time ago. You do seem familiar though."

Aoi's eyes widened. "Is your name… by any chance… Airi!?"

The girl's ears twitched. "Y-Yes!"

Aoi turned to Miyo. "Now, listen, onee-chan. This girl here, she was one of our… best friends before we left this world."

"What!? How do you know!?" Miyo's eyes grew in shock. "No way."

"I'm not sure how I remember. But I just do." Aoi sat down and took a deep breath.

"Yes, we were best friends as kids. We lives in the orphanage together." Airi smiled. "It's good to see you guys again!"

"Wait! I remember now!" Miyo stood up and smiled. "Sorry for not remembering sooner… It's really good to see you again! Yuki-kun, put that sword down."

"A-Ah! Right. Sorry." Putting my sword away, I smiled at the fox girl, relieved that we aren't enemies. "Nice to meet you, Airi. I'm Yukio."

"Nice to meet you, too, Yukio!" Airi smiled. "Why are you guys here? If memory serves, our worlds merged and you fell into a spirit gate when we were playing in the forest."

"That's kinda why we're here," I said. "It's a long story, so I'll try to simplify things. I live in a different world – universe, realm, whatever you wanna call it – than these two. Now, this world is about to merge with mine, and our only way to stop it is by closing all five spirit gates."

"But… how? You need a certain amulet that's rumored to be hidden in the forests…" Airi's gaze went to my neck. "Ah! That's the amulet! How did you get it!?"

Aoi looked at the amulet. "Well… somehow, I have it. I never did understand how, but I just did."

"Interesting. Anyway, why don't you come back to the village? You can spend the night at my inn." Airi motioned to us.

"Let us pack up first, we'll catch up," I said.

Aoi looked at us. "Could you guys do it? I need to catch up with an old friend."

"Fine. We'll be there in a few minutes." I sighed.

When they were gone, we started packing up. Alone with Miyo, I was getting worried that she was going to bring up that whole romance thing again. When we finished packing, I was relieved that she didn't.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yup." Miyo jumped onto my back and I carried her to the village, where Airi and Aoi stood at the entrance talking.

"We're back," I panted, setting Miyo down for a rest.

"Oh, good. Let's head to the inn, shall we?" Airi led us to a three-story high building, with many spirits walking in and out through doors. "It's our popular season," she said with a smile. "We have a deluxe suite on the top floor, you three can stay there."

"Oh, thanks so much!" Miyo smiled. "It'll be nice to sit and enjoy the hot springs," she added, looking at a sign that said "hot springs that way".

"Hey, Yuki-kun?" Aoi asked.

"Hmm?"

"How many days do we have?" Her head cocked when she asked the question.

"4. And we have 3 gates left." I sighed. "I can predict your question next; can we stay here for a day."

Her head lowered.

"Fine, but just a day. We leave the day after tomorrow; it's late now, so we should rest. If we time it right, we'll get each gate with no time to spare. The third gate is close to here, so we shouldn't have to worry about that, so if we can get the third gate and the fourth gate in the same day, it should work out."

Her eyes shone as she let out a squeal of excitement. "Yay!"

Airi showed us to our room; a double-bed room with a view of the entire village.

"I hope it will be to your liking. I'll let you guys sleep, if you need anything, I'll be in the room on the first floor in the back." Airi waved as she shut the door.

"Two beds? I call Yuki's bed!" Miyo squeaked as she jumped on me.

I sighed. "It's like you depend on me to sleep."

"Well… I like you a lot! So we need to make the most of our times together." Miyo got under the blanket and pulled me onto the bed.

"Dammit, what did I get myself into," I growled while Aoi laughed at us.

"Good night, you too. Don't keep me awake," she yawned, curling up and falling asleep.

"Good night, Miyo," I yawned.

"Night night, Yuki-sama~" and that was the last thing I heard.

That morning was a nice one. We all woke up before sunrise and headed to the hot springs.

"Remember, Yuki-kun. All it takes is a little peek over our fence!" Miyo taunted from the other side.

"Tempting, but no," I mocked.

I must've fallen asleep in that hot spring, because the next thing I knew I was getting splashed by two fuzzy figures. Wiping the sleep out of my eyes, I saw Miyo and Aoi standing over me with a bucket.

"AH!" I screamed.

"Don't worry, we didn't see anything," Aoi giggled.

"But sadly, what I've seen cannot be unseen." I splashed water in my eyes, attempting to un-see the image.

"You know you liked it," Miyo giggled.

"Whatever. Just remember, we only have until tomorrow morning to enjoy ourselves. I'd prefer mine to be me and me alone." Sinking into the water, I heard footsteps as the two girls went back into their side of the fence.

The next few hours of relaxation were nice; I was invited to go with the two girls and Airi and go shopping, but declined the offer. I swear, it felt just like I was back at home with Takara. Thinking of her, my heart skipped a beat. It's been so long, and I haven't spoken to her. I wondered what I'd say when I saw her next. 'Sorry, too busy saving the world to spend time with you'? Yeah, right.

After another few hours of soaking in the hot springs, I dried off and got changed. We only had a few more hours until we had to go; it was near midnight when they returned.

"What were you guys doing?" I asked.

"Just talking, hanging, doing things we used to do as kids," Aoi said.

"Well, get to bed," I mumbled. "We have to find the other two gates, and according to this map the first one is a half-day walk from here."

Crawling next to me, I assumed was Miyo, but was actually Aoi.

"Why are you sleeping with me?" I asked.

"What, you don't like me?" she wined.

"No, no. I like you plenty. But usually Miyo's the one trying to cuddle up to me like a pillow." I looked over at her, already sprawled out on the bed.

"Well, I decided that if I kept clinging to you, you'd never want me! I don't want that, so I'll back off for now. It's onee-san's turn." Yawning, Miyo curled up and fell asleep.

"Well then, good night," Aoi giggled.

"Don't I get a say in it?" I growled.

"Nope! Night!" And with that, she fell asleep.

Sighing, I let sleep take over, wondering what we would encounter at the final gates.

* * *

><p>Give it up for the third fox spirit, and probably the last, and probably the most useless character! Well, she does provide a big role in a few chapters, but it's for more of a comedic thing.<p> 


	15. Return of Yoso

**Chapter 15**

**Return of Yoso**

We left first thing in the morning, Airi still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she waved.

"Okay, we'll need to go as fast as possible," I commanded. "Miyo, your foot seems to have healed a bit, but are you in any condition to run?"

"No way. It still hurts. I wish it was as easy as teleporting to each gate, but the magic field is too strong around it."

"Okay, get on," I ordered, bending down. "We're on a tight schedule to save my world! Let's do it!

Chants from Aoi and Miyo kept me encouraged to keep running. By nearly sun high, we made it to the third gate.

"Do you think we'll encounter any monsters?" Miyo asked.

"No. This gate says, 'Only two more, and no threats linger'." Pausing to deactivate the gate, I added, "These gates don't seem to lie with their words, so I've decided to trust them."

"Okay! Let's go to the fourth gate!" Miyo cheered.

"Let's do it! We just need to keep heading south, and we should shortly encounter it, according to the amulet." Inside, I was screaming with pain to stop, but we couldn't take a break now. "Aoi, you ok?"

"Yup! I've always walked long distances in short periods of time. I'm fine!"

After a few more hours, the sun started to go down, and the ground started to get snowy.

"Brr, it's so cold," Miyo squealed.

"Here, take my jacket," I offered.

"Thanks! But don't you need it too?" Miyo gave the jacket back to me.

"Nope. I'm so exhausted, I've lost all feelings in my body. Keep it." I handed the jacket back up to her.

After another hour of walking, I stopped. "Guys… do you hear that?"

In the distance, a laugh echoed.

Aoi's ears twitched. "It kinda sounds like… oh no."

"What?" Miyo sounded worried.

"…Yoso." The name gave me shivers at the thought of having to deal with her again.

"Aoi, take Miyo and go for cover. I'll take care of her." I put Miyo in her arms.

"Good luck. Kick her ass!" Miyo cheered.

"Will do. When I kick her ass, I'll think of you," I joked.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A human? More importantly, the human who defeated me?" The bitter voice gave me the chills worse than the snowstorm.

Yoso appeared, her hair and eyes a pale blue.

"I doubt you'll be able to defeat me this time. I'm in the spirit world!" Yoso laughed louder.

"Well, I've learned some new tricks as well," I said, trying to make my voice sound threatening, taking my sword out.

"Bring it on, human!" She launcher herself at me.

With lightning-quick reflexes, I dodged her attack. The sword gave me the sense of electricity again. Not to mention, it made me faster.

"Oh? It does seem this human learned something new!" Yoso laughed. "Try to dodge this!"

From the snowy ground, an icicle, sharper than a sword, launched at me. Unable to dodge it in time, it went clean through me.

"No!" I screamed. "Wait… this doesn't hurt. At all. In fact… did you even hit me?" Looking down, I saw the icicle in the middle of my stomach, with swirls of electricity around it. Just as I thought; it DID go inside me. But… why am I not damaged? Pulling it out, the electricity filled the hole in my stomach, instantly reviving my skin.

"W-What?!" Yoso was clearly in more shock than I was.

"Look, I don't know what's happening either, but I do know you can't hurt me." Laughing a little, I launched myself at her, landing a deadly blow with my sword to her chest.

"No! How can this be! Y-You only got me because I was… off guard…" Her voice faded as she fell to the ground, and the moment she did, the snow stopped.

"W-Wow! Yuki-sama, that was amazing!" Miyo hobbled out from the hiding spot behind a rock to hug me. "But… what happened?"

"I wish I knew. I can't remember anything about learning magic since Tsubishi knocked me unconscious…" Scratching my head, I looked down at the body of Yoso. "Is she…"

"She isn't dead," Aoi sighed. "Sadly. She's a spirit; she'll only revive herself. If you damaged her enough, she'll be reborn as a new spirit, though."

"Oh, cool. Hopefully she'll be reborn as a good spirit," I muttered, blasting her with an electric shock. Brushing off the situation, I added, "Anyway, look! There's the gate."

After sealing the gate, I just realized what an accomplishment we overcame. "You guys, you know we just have one more gate?"

"Yup. And look – it seems defeating Yoso removed all this snow," Miyo pointed out. "Let's set up camp. Tomorrow's the day we seal the final gate."

That night, we didn't bother making a fire; it was too cold so we decided to huddle together in the tent. Of course, Miyo was the one who suggested it. It was a nice sleep, and I wondered how dangerous the final gate's journey would be. Of course, the biggest mystery in my mind was… How did I not die from that deadly icicle to my chest?

Before I fell asleep, I heard Miyo ask me, "Did you kick Yoso's ass?"

I chuckled. "Yup, and I thought of you the entire time.

* * *

><p>Next up: feels! Chapter 15. Wow. If you're actually reading this entire thing, I love you. We're almost done. You get a virtual high-five from me.<p> 


	16. The Big Secret

**Chapter 16**

**The Big Secret**

"Yawwwn!" I let out a huge yawn and stretched, forgetting about the two fox girls next to me.

"Ow! Yuki-kun, the hell?" Aoi's aggravated voice was louder than the yawn, which woke up Miyo.

"Oh, morning already?" Miyo yawned, looking at us.

"What?" Aoi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's our last day to get the last gate! Cmon!" Miyo jumped out of the tent, then uttered a gasp of amazement.

Walking out, it's obvious to see what she was so amazed by. Replacing the snow wasteland was a meadow of gently sloping hills, trees, flowers, and rivers. It was like a wonderland.

"What a nice greeting to this day. Really sets the mood to save a world!" I cheered.

"Hey, Yuki-sama! My foot feels better!" Miyo's voice squealed as she ran around the meadow.

At that point, I didn't even care that Miyo called my 'Yuki-sama'. It was kind of funny.

"Nice, now I don't have to break my back carrying you!" I joked.

"Hey! I'm not that heavy," she sighed.

"I know, I know. Anyway, let's head out; it's nearly dawn."

"Aye aye!" They both cheered.

"According to the amulet, we need to head east, which is the direction the sun is rising," I explained. "Easy enough!"

A few hours later, I saw the sight I thought I would never see again – the final gate!

"It can't be this easy," Miyo said.

"It's too good to be true, so I'm going to assume it is true," I sighed. "Let's go!"

Approaching the gate, I heard a familiar voice: Tsubishi.

"Good job, you've finally done it," she said. The amulet began to glow and she appeared in front of us. "Close this gate, and all evil spirits will be reborn good."

"But doesn't that defeat the purpose of closing them?" Aoi asked.

"It's a strange set of circumstances. If you do wish to return, I can help with that in the future." Tsubishi turned to me. "Yukio, I must tell you something very important."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well… rather than telling you, I'll show you." Blinding light surrounded the area, and when it faded, standing in place of Tsubishi was… Takara.

"W-What!?" I was astonished. No words could describe the feelings I expressed during that moment.

"Hey, you're that girl from before," Miyo said, staring.

Silently staring back at my childhood friend, whom I've known since we were born, I had no idea how this could happen.

"Yes… I was." Takara's expression showed no emotion at all.

"Wait, wait. Who is this?" Aoi looked like she was carefully observing Takara.

"Oh, that's right. You two haven't been introduced," I recalled. "When Miyo and I were out before, I introduced her, but I'm sure you already know each other since… Well, she's Tsubishi." Sighing, I added, "I just… can't believe it."

"Well, at first I was a normal human," Takara spoke softly, "but one day, I actually did stumble across that same temple you did."

"What happened after that, though?" This story was as confusing as what happened to my life the past few months.

"Well… I met a spirit. Long story short, she made me her successor. And believe it or not… that spirit was Yoso."

I gasped. "What? How?"

"Well… I've visited her every day since then. She taught me magic and trusted me." Putting her head in her hands and sighing, she continued. "Sadly, she was corrupted by an evil source, and made me her successor. I ended up defeating that source, but she stayed evil, and I became the shrine protector. Thanks to you, however… She was defeated and will be reborn good. When the time comes, I'll train her and she will become my successor."

"Great… but now, how do we get out of this world?" Aoi moaned in weariness, breaking the moment.

Miyo nudged her with her elbow and muttered a scold.

Just as Takara was about to speak, a huge spirit monster came growling from the forest. No – not just one. Tens, hundreds.

"W-what!?" I heard Miyo squeal.

"Get back, guys," I said, taking out my sword, my entire body sizzling with electricity.

Upon seeing this, Takara flinched. "H-How did you get this ability?"

"No idea… Wanna give me a quick explanation before I beat these monsters?" I motioned to the horde of spirit monsters, who clearly didn't notice us yet.

"Okay… so, I never gave this power to you. Remember back in the temple? I gave you simple powers for defeating evil spirits, nothing like this." Takara was clearly shocked. "It is a rare ability known as a 'Logia'. As long as you are using magic, things can't go through you, such as a sword. I don't know much about it, but the stronger you become, the more powerful the ability will be. I'm sure it'll be helpful with your battle.

"Okay, ready to fight!" I got into a battle stance.

"Okay, let's do it!" I saw Miyo and Aoi take out their wands, ready to offer support.

Monsters swarmed the surrounding area, some flying, some swimming, some made of flames and others as icy as the tundra this area used to be.

"Go!" I ordered. Slashing like there was no tomorrow, I felt immense power surge through me. With each monster I struck down, another two took its place, but I wasn't planning on stopping yet. I unleashed a huge blast of electricity, ripping a huge hole in the swarm of monsters. Checking to make sure Miyo and Aoi were okay, I rushed ahead to the end of the swarm to kill more.

Halfway through, I heard a cry of agony. Not from Aoi or Miyo, but… from Takara. "Help!" she screamed. I saw her struggling to fight off a dozen of the monsters, trying to blast them away, but in the end the overpowered her.

Feeling immense power overcoming me, I launched myself at warp-speed to my struggling friend, blasting all of the monsters around her away.

When the dust finally settled, the field was littered with defeated spirit monsters, but a few of them escaped. Hopefully they learned their lesson, though.

"Takara, are you ok?" I begged her to hold on. She was severely injured, though…

"Let me try helping," Aoi suggested. With a wave of her wand, a circle of light appeared around Takara, and quickly faded. "Oh no," Aoi whispered.

"What!?" I yelled.

"There's nothing we can do to heal her…"

"What? No… no…" This couldn't be happening.

"Yuki-kun…" Takara's faint voice whispered my name. "It's okay. The world is saved. You can return home now."

"What about Miyo and Aoi? What about you!?"

"My time to go has arrived. You've been a great lifelong friend." Her voice grew quieter.

"No…" I hugged her and cried.

"Goodbye, Yuki-kun. See you on the other side…" Her eyes slowly closed. She was gone.

* * *

><p>*wipes tear* Sorry, my eyes were tearing because of all this manly body spray I'm using. Not tears. It's funny because I was actually pretty sad writing this. I'll leave a cliffhanger today, since I uploaded like 7 chapters, and who knows, maybe I'll upload the rest tomorrow. Or I can be a bad person and slowly upload each chapter on a course of a week. Nah, I won't be that mean. :-)<p> 


	17. Separation

**Chapter 17  
><strong>**Separation**

All was quiet. It was like the calm before the storm, though the storm was already over.

"I'm so sorry, Yuki-kun," Miyo gave me a comforting hug. "No. It's not your fault. It's because of those monsters…"

No more words could be spoken; as fast as everything happened, I was suddenly transported home even faster. Takara was lying on my floor, and I was still crying. Wiping the tears from my face, I decided to not dwell on the past, and instead worry about the future. And that future was… What was I to tell her parents? She looked peaceful on the floor, her blonde hair covering half of her face. I was half-expecting to close my eyes and see her bright green eyes staring right back at me. When I opened my eyes… nothing.

With shaking hands, I dialed her house number. I was never good with confrontation, and I doubt that will ever change. It rang once, and I heard, "Hello?"

"M-Ms. Satonaka?" My voice trembled.

"Oh, Yuki-kun. What's wrong?" Her voice sounded worried as she picked up the uneasiness in my own.

"W-Well…"

The funeral was held in a grassy field a few months later. The mourners dressed in black, friends, family, people I've never seen before. I sat at the front row. My story was she was hit by a hit-and-run driver. I couldn't think of anything else; telling her mother that spirits killed her wouldn't make sense at all. She looked peaceful in the coffin, her hair done to perfection. She wore a silky white dress. She didn't look anything like the Takara I knew… She didn't look like Tsubishi, either. She was a being of her own. I decided not to blame myself for her death; even I couldn't handle the battle with the spirits. Without a guardian, I wondered how each world was. The guardians acted as a gate between each world…

I never heard from Aoi or Miyo after the day we closed all of the gates. I felt helpless, unable to come in contact with my friends again. The amulet turned a dull grey. I knew what I needed to do once I came in contact with Miyo again.

Eventually, years passed. Not a day went by when I didn't think of Miyo and Aoi. One faithful spring day, three years after those events (I was now 21) I was walking around the town. I found myself at the old dojo that burnt down. I've lost so much in my life; this dojo my parents, Takara, Miyo and Aoi. Watching the cherry blossoms, I began to think of the Millennium Sakura Trees, enjoying the scenery through the forest. One tree stood out from the rest; it was much bigger, with brighter petals than the rest. There were many big cherries growing, which was unusual since the other trees I saw were only beginning to bloom.

"…ki-sama," I heard faintly on the wind. Beyond the unusual cherry tree was a small stone structure, similar to the gates from the spirit world, but instead was in the shape of a stone lantern. Written in English on the front of it said, "It's been a while. Welcome home." Inside was a small indent. It felt necessary to do so, so I placed the amulet inside. The dull grey stone began to return to its former bright sapphire state. The scenery around me quickly changed, and I found myself in a forest. A small house – a very familiar house – was at the end of a path of trees. Two figures stood there, picking cherries off of the trees.

I knew who they were and where I was. "Miyo… Aoi…" I whispered.

Looking up, the taller of the figures ran to me, followed by the shorter.

"Yuki-kun!" Miyo squeaked, same as always. "I knew you would return!"

"Yes, welcome back!" Aoi smiled.

"I was wondering if I was ever to be back here," I sighed. "After all, the guardian died…"

"You're looking at the new guardian," Aoi said, face beaming. "After you disappeared all those years ago, a strange light shone and gave me a power. Long story short, I'm the guardian now."

"Great! Too bad about my swor-" I was cut off and saw Miyo running inside the house, returning with what seemed to be my sword.

"You left this when you vanished, so I decided to keep it as a reminder. I wouldn't allow myself peace until you received it." Miyo hugged me. "I missed you."

"I missed you guys too," I sighed. "Good to be back."

"Well, clearly I'll leave you two be," Aoi giggled, walking inside the house.

"So…" I stammered.

"So…" Miyo repeated.

A lone cherry blossom leaf flew in the wind and landed on Miyo's cheek, so I plucked it off. She was bathed in a golden light from the sunset.

"Listen… I've never admitted my love for anyone, and nobody has ever admitted their love for me," I said awkwardly.

"Let me be the first." She hugged me, and I hugged her back. "I love you," she sighed, kissing me.

"I love you too," I whispered.

* * *

><p>We are so close to finishing. Those five people who are still reading this, I love you! I might make some extra chapters after the last one, who knows. I'll play things by year. I'm planning on making a new story soon, too, that I'm pretty excited about. More details on my profile soon.<p> 


	18. A House on the Field

**Chapter 18**

**A House in the Field**

A small house stands on the top of a small hill in a meadow. To be specific, that meadow, from that day we sealed the final gate.

It's been a little after five years since those events. We're grown up now.

Aoi has become the chief of the small village I first arrived at, now a bustling town with a growing population. Kaya and Sora became the head guards. Miyo and I got married. The wedding was held at the location of the fifth gate we sealed in hopes of Takara watching from above.

Miyo, who decided it was time to take the form of a human since she is the wife of one, never changed; she is still her energetic, loving self. We opened all of the spirit gates again. Apparently there were five gates in all three worlds. Humans have ever since then transported through each world, immigrating, living, and moving as they pleased. Spirits of all kinds can live peacefully with humans. Speaking of spirits, Yoso was revived. She would become Aoi's successor when the time was right.

With new worlds, technology was able to advance greatly. Each world had a little bit to offer; mine gave electricity, Aoi's offered an advanced medical system – far beyond ours – and the spirit world provided a clean energy source for all worlds to stay in balance. Takara's warning was right; the world would never be the same. And it was for the better.

As I sit on the small recliner, Miyo is cooking our dinner. She marveled at the sight of a toaster; she tries to use one at every chance she gets.

"Hey," Miyo says, "have you ever thought of trying to have kids?"

"Oh, nooo" I moan. "We have too much to live for. Besides, we're only 26 years old. Let's enjoy our youth and help these new worlds grow."

"I've been reading up on it on the internet-" another great technological advancement; each world can use the internet, "-do I really get fat?"

I laugh. "Well… Not really. After birth, you can have some lingering weight and perhaps a few grey hair-"

"Oh, nooo. Never mind that; I love my hair!" Miyo strokes her hair. "Maybe when we're older. You're right." It's amazing how quickly she can change her mind.

"Well, I'm off to work," I say, standing up and reaching for my coat. I work at a new business that tracks down spirits who are still trying to harm the New World (which is what we've all begun to call it) and destroy them. They later get reborn as good spirits.

"Good luck, babe. Be safe," Miyo walks over and gives me a kiss.

"Thanks," I say, kissing her back.

Adjusting my fedora, I walk out the door and unsheathe my sword. Feeling the surge of electricity flow through me, I let my legs and feet turn to lightning, allowing me to run faster than sound. With some renovations, I've been able to attach the amulet Aoi gave me to my blade, ensuring the fact that I'll never lose it.

Arriving at work, my boss walks up to me, brushing her green hair to the side. "It's about time," she growls. "We have a report on the east sector of world 2."

"On it, Sora-san," I say, checking my GPS tracker.

"And stop calling me that; I know we have a history in the past, but I'm your boss. Here, you call me 'chief'."

"Oh, Sora. Don't be so strict! He saved our village years ago," Kaya walks over to us and nudges Sora with her elbow.

"Just get to work," Sora sighs.

"Aye, boss," I say.

* * *

><p>Hey, I lie. I've decided to just upload the entire thing today! Still no word on the short stories afterwards, though.<br>Also, as an explanation to suddenly going to present-tense... Well, Yukio was basically writing the story in a book. After the last chapter, it goes to present-tense because he isn't writing anything anymore, it's actually in real-time. Confusing? Yeah.


	19. The Gathering

**Chapter 19  
><strong>**The Gathering**

A week later, at dinner, Miyo brings up an interesting topic.

"Did you know that in two days, it's our 9-year anniversary of meeting in the village?"

"Oh, really? Man, it's been nine years already." I sigh, remembering the interesting adventures.

"Yup! I got an email from Aoi last night. She wants to know if we can make it to the village to celebrate."

"Of course we will," I say, turning on the TV.

"Great. I'll email her back tomorrow, I'm heading to bed. Don't stay up too late…" She gives me a kiss on the cheek and goes into our room.

It'll be exciting to see everybody again. It's a bit sad that Takara can't be there… Sadly, since she was part human, her spirit side couldn't be fully reborn. She'll always be in our hearts, though.

I wearily crawl into bed and run my hand through Miyo's orange hair while she reads a book. "Good night," I whisper.

"Night, sweetie," she whispers back.

It is the night of our 9-year anniversary. Me, Miyo, Aoi, Sora, Kaya, the Elder, and all of the original villagers who were in the village at the time are here. Fun party games and festival foods are set up at different booths at the beach, along with a stage for a popular band back in my world to perform.

We've all changed so much. Miyo and I, who are happily married. Aoi, being the guardian and village chief. Sora and Kaya… well, they haven't changed. Sora has learned to be cheerier, though. It's a start, but still good.

"Ho!" The Elder laughs. "I've lived a long life. Nearly 90 years old and still going!" He takes a sip of beer and laughs again.

"E-Elder…" Aoi sighs. "You don't want to end that life tonight, right?"

"Hoho! Now, Aoi. I've lived a full life. I'm not sure if this is the beer talking, but if I were to leave this world right now, I would not regret anything."

"D-Don't say that," I laugh.

"I'm going to get something to drink," Miyo says. "Want anything, babe?"

"Nah. I'm going to enter the pie eating contest soon, I can't stuff myself!" Patting my stomach, I laugh. Something tells me the Elder's beer is getting to me, though I'm on the other side of the table.

"Okay, be back in a minute!"

When Miyo leaves, Aoi smiles. "What?" I say.

"You two. You're so cute together," she giggles. "I sort of wish it was me, but I have my duties. I don't have time to get married."

Leaning in, the Elder says, "Have you thought of having kids?"

My face turning red, I loudly squeal, "I'd rather not talk about that!"

"Ah, I see. Just enjoy being young, kiddo! It goes by in a flash." He laughs, making a flashing gesture with his hands. He sure is a funny drunk, I have to say.

I see a figure walking up to our table.

"Ah! Airi!" Aoi waves.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" Airi exclaims, rushing over with an armful of containers.

"What's in there?" I ask.

"The pies, of course. I was asked to make them this year! To make the contest harder, I added extra yeast to the dough so it's more filling." Smiling, she glances at me, knowing that I was planning on entering.

I moan. "I should have skipped dinner last night…"

"Well, time to start the contest," Airi says. "I'll call you over when I'm done setting things up!"

"Okay, thanks," I say, waving as she walks away.

I watch as Airi walks over to the stage, and I see her and my wife talking for a few minutes, until she return to our table.

"What a nice person. Too bad I can't remember most of our childhood together," she sighs.

"Don't worry. It wasn't that exciting," Aoi giggles.

An announcement on the loudspeaker comes on, calling all entrants to the stage. As the band walks off, the back curtains open, and five tables with huge pie mounds are wheeled out.

"This might be our hardest battle yet," I say.

Laughing, Aoi and Miyo follow me to the stage, as a crowd gathers at the bottom.

"Good luck, babe," Miyo cheers, kissing my cheek before I go.

Four other entrants besides me are there; I recognize only one of them from the village. At the end, I see the Elder sitting.

I sigh. "Hopefully he doesn't kill himself," I mumble.

Airi walks onto the stage and the crowd silences. "Whoever cleans their table of their pies win the grand prize – the amazing title of 'King of Pies'! This is a good, clean, fun pie-eating contest. Tricks are allowed, as long as they don't involve swiping the pies under your table. Eaters ready! 3! 2! 1! Eat!"

We all dig into the pile. I shove my face into the first pie I see, eating it in seconds. Airi was right; they were filling. I finish my second pie, my stomach is beginning to hurt. Third, things aren't looking too good. I see the other entrants, some holding their stomachs while they eat. Fourth, I don't think I can handle anymore. Fifth, my stomach is about to burst.

"That's it," I moan to myself. Reaching back, I touch my sword and feel the power swell through me, instantly dissolving the pies at the bottom of my stomach. My hands and mouth are working lightning-quick now, and soon I'm finish my tenth pie. All other entrants have backed out, walking off the stage, except for one. He is holding some sort of amulet, and I notice a fiery glow to him. Another Logia…

"Here we are, folks. Two contestants left, both who hold the power of the Logia! On the right, we have Yukio, who possesses the ability of lightning. Over here, a local villager, Akira, who possesses the ability of the flames. They both provide a huge advantage in this battle! Who will win!?"

I hear Miyo's loud cheer from the crowd. I can do this. Gripping the sword tighter, I focus more energy than I ever have and go faster than before. 20 pies down. Soon, 30. I see Akira, smiling as he slowly – _mockingly_ – picks apart his last pie. No. I will not lose. Letting out a battle cry, I feel my legs and lower body turn to lightning, moving near the speed of light. I hear a loud boom. I assume I broke the sound barrier. Everything around me seems so slow; I glance at Akira, attempting to shove the entire pie in his mouth at once. I let out another loud battle cry, feeling my entire body turn to lightning, and swallow the last pie.

It was over, and I won. The hardest battle ever has been won.

Airi walks back onto the stage as a group of people pull the tables back behind the curtains. "I present to you, our new Pie King – Yukio-sama!" she announces.

Cheers come from the crowd. Miyo, Aoi, Sora, and Kaya walk up and congratulate me. Out of the corner of my eye I notice something – the Elder, who fell asleep without even finishing one pie. Laughing, I say, "I guess the beer was too much for him."

"Knowing him, he'll be back to his normal self tomorrow," Aoi sighs.

Airi places a papier-mâché crown on my head with the words "Pie King" written on it.

"Hey, now," Miyo says, "what about the Pie Queen?"

"We only made one crown," Airi sighs.

"Here." I take off my crown and place it on her head, fixing her orange hair so the words can be properly read.

"How do I look?" My wife asks me.

"Like the Pie Queen!" I laugh.

The crowd starts to disappear and resume the festival activities. A few hours later, after the fireworks, we head home.

"You know, I had a lot of fun today," Miyo says, still wearing the crown.

"Yeah. We should do it more often; it's been 9 years and this was the second one." I say.

"So the fun doesn't get ruined by having it each year, why not once every five?" Miyo suggests.

"Good idea, I'll talk to Aoi about it."

"Anyway, I've been thinking…" I started.

"Hm?"

"You should take the form of a fox spirit again."

"Why?" She looks at me with confusion. "You don't like human-me?"

"You're beautiful either way, but I'd rather you be true to yourself. It just doesn't feel right if you look like a human."

"All right. I'll change when we get home; I left my wand there."

"All right."

As we walk home, a spark appears in the sky. It starts as one, then another, and soon the sky is full of shooting stars streaking across and fading.

"Let's get a better view at the top of the hill," Miyo says.

At the top, the view is even better. All of the stars are visible tonight, and I even saw a nebula cloud way up there. It makes me think how small this New World is, even if it is now three worlds combined as one. Besides; it's not like we share the same galaxy. Each world is more like… its own realm. An alternate universe, you could call it.

Breaking my thoughts, Miyo takes off her jacket and lays it down on the grass. She sits, so I do the same.

"It's amazing," she whispers.

"I've never seen a meteor shower as big as this one," I whisper, afraid speaking too loudly will ruin the mood.

After sitting and enjoying it for a while, I lean in and kiss her, pressing her against me. She quietly sighs and kisses me back. These past few years have been hectic and eventful, but now I have all I need, right here. Nothing will change it.

* * *

><p>Pie and romance. Who could ask for more in a story?<br>I must not say anything else; I can't ruin this moment. :c


	20. Epilouge

**Chapter 20**

**Epilogue**

On a small hill, our house stands. I can hear in the distance a soft cry of a child. It's been a long day at work, so it's good to be home.

It's now been 17 years since those events. Miyo finally talked me into having a baby; she was born three years ago. We named her Aki. A few months ago, our newest family member was born; we named him Haru. They both have the ears and tail of a fox, just like their mother. Miyo says she doesn't want any more kids; she was able to escape the after-birth effects of graying hair and weight gain, but she doesn't want to risk it any further.

"I'm home," I announce, walking through the door.

Aki runs to me, nearly tripping, and exclaims, "Welcome home, Daddy!" in a hardly understandable baby talk.

"Hey, little one," I say.

"Hi, honey," Miyo waves, while trying to get Haru to drink his milk.

I laugh and take the bottle from her hand. "You need to have the magic touch," I say. I hold the bottle in front of his mouth and he grabs it, drinking it quickly.

"We need to get Aoi to watch these two," Miyo sighs. "They've been quite the handful. I need a break."

"I'll go call her. Hopefully she isn't busy," I say, picking up the phone.

An hour later, Aoi arrives at our house. "Sorry," she says. "The gates are so crowded this time of year; in our world its summer and everyone wants to get to the beach."

"No worries," Miyo smiles. "Okay, kids. I need a break, so be nice to Aunt Aoi!"

Aki smiles at Aoi; she always loved her. The two got along so much, and they looked nearly identical.

"Let's go, kids; I'll show you around the village!" I hear Aoi say as they head towards the portal.

"Parenting mode is off. Finally, some relaxation," my wife sighs, flopping down on the couch.

I laugh. "You're the one who talked me into having kids."

I sit next to her and run my hands through her hair, like I always do. We've been together for nearly 13 years now. We've been through so much. Our peace has stayed, but now it was time to face a greater challenge: parenting.

She starts to doze off into my arms. I feel sleep pulling at me as well. "I love you," I whisper to her before I fall asleep.

All I can feel is our bodies lying pressed against each other, and the warmth she gives off. As I enter the peaceful darkness of sleep, I hear her whisper back to me, "I love you too."

Now, our story is over. Sure, there's more I could tell you... Our exciting adventures don't end here. But... that's for another story.

[The End]

* * *

><p>It is done. My first story that I wrote without stopping after the first 10 chapters. I have such a feeling of satisfaction. For those five fans who stayed till the end, don't be sad! I doubt we've seen the last of these characters :-)<p> 


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